Asparagus with Pimenton

Oh, what a sad day. It was likely the last of the local asparagus, fat and fresh-perfect from the field. (For St Louisans: Scharf's Farm raises the best local asparagus I know ... their stand is at Soulard Market on Saturdays (and perhaps Fridays?) in the north building on the Broadway side, midway on the north side of the aisle. It's worth finding for a couple of weeks early, St Louis' best strawberries are here too ...) But the pimenton, a smoky Spanish paprika, entirely overpowered the asparagus. It was the inspiring recipe's second choice but the first was chili powder ... which I suspect would be equally overpowering. FOR THE RECORD ...

• This is another contribution to the Asparagus Aspirations at Seriously Good. My favorite entry so far is asparagus with anchovies and garlic -- very worthy of local asparagus! But scampy Kevin seems especially taken by Lemon Lovers' Lickin' Good Roasted Asparagus.
• And because the asparagus came from a local farmer, it's also part of the 2006 Eat Local Challenge where foodies and food bloggers from all over (and especially the Bay Area) are challenging each other and themselves to "eat local" during the month of May. It's a fascinating learning experience -- and everyone can participate at an individual comfort level. See how it's going -- here.

FROM THE ARCHIVES ... For other recipes using asparagus, see here in the Recipe Box. But this time of year, I always have a hankering for this salmon and asparagus. ASPARAGUS with PIMENTON Bookmark or print Asparagus with Pimenton Hands-on time: 5 minutes Time to table: 15 minutes Serves 4 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut in lengths, tips reserved Splash water 1 teaspoon pimenton 1 teaspoon garlic (the recipe specified garlic powder so ...) 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar, the recipe suggested ...) Salt & pepper to taste Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on MEDIUM HIGH. When it's hot, add the water and the asparagus stems (reserve the tips for a bit, they need less time to cook). Cook, covered, for about 4 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Add the tips and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the pimenton, garlic and vinegar. Season to taste and serve. NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 36 Cal (27% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 49% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 5 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb2; 30 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 3 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE Adapted from Eating Well, April/May 2006 4/29

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